The Sun. — London, England, 1818-04-28 00:00:00

LITERARY Rp.VIEW. RE! TGIO` CLERIC!,; A CuuIiCHMAN'S ErisTLE; Thrse went about in quest of 10011, whom they had the art to turn into madmen; an art which is not to be reckoned auicaig the fleper-,ita." i ultr I N• MGjiRAY, R i S.—Second Edition, corrected. If testimony could be wa►►ted to the merit of a poem, whicli speaks ably Cm itself, nothing coup{, convey. t „more, stronglyjlian the staodey, . • . . • tts, malignant, and. unchristian attack upon it vitielt has already been poured forth, (without a Moment's loss of time), from that vehicle of fana.4 .ticieni, the 'Eclectic Reriew,—from that Review; which, no less wisely than humanely, pronounced that thousands are now Tormented in bell for the atrocious crime of reading Shakspeare! These autirible Reviewers, having stigv,ested every moi,t unworthy motive for the production of the - poem, and attributed to the author dispositions which front their apparent knowledge of him, they must know to be quite fa:seht imputed, still maintain the cant of Christian charity, and reproach •the author with having viotsted its precepts, while , they are acting themselves in most gross viol :Hon of them. They, are so blinded by their wrath, that they cannot see even the merit of the style and versification, which the greatest dolt, not so niust perceive ; and think that they prove theme( lees at once witty and indulgent, by hoping that the author, " while he imitates Dryden, is as much, better a man than Dryden as he is a worse poet;" Otos adroitly slandering at once both the dead and the living poet. " Peace to all such I." there be -a,.crit ic who can distinguish merit either iq style.or - sentiment, that critic,, we are well assured, willas touch commend the poem as those ,sapient persons have abused it ; and as Much ,raise the author as jAey have laboured to vilify p 'This We say without reserve though the poet, in decrying and satirizing Bible Societies, has joined with one division of- his clerical brethren against another;. and has thus lent his aid ro widen a schism within the Church which Persons of more experience and considera►ion ardently wish to'see . re-united. Yet .-when he aims his satire against the abuses of these institutions, the pa- Sade and quackery of public speechifying, the offi cious intrusion of peony subscriptions, to gain influence over the poor, then assuredly, many of the. best friends to those societies will heartily join with him, and lament that " such .things are'," though without changing their opinion 'of the general design. The Eclectics are particularly angry with the author for stating the case of a poor man, driven to despair in his last moments by some fiery bi got, who has assured him, that for the frailties of 'Which .he cannot but accuse himself, he cannot have a hope of pardon. They deny that the poet could.have known such a case. Now the case hap pens to be almost exactly the same as one which another more established poet has recorded in pri n t, a s h a pp e ni n g un der his own eye, and in his. own parish, namely, at Bremhill. near Caine, in Wilts where the tracts written upon. the subject may at any time be procured, and we believe also at Mr. Hatchard's, Piccadilly: To let our Readers see the nature of these cases, it is proper here to insert the passage from the - Religio Clerici: Oh Were this all ! did juggles such as these Alone - inform us of our sore disease, Folly, like heady beer, must find - a vent, And heat, we know, by nature will feiment. But would you see what heavier ills abound, Walk with a pa►ish priest his daily round. 'ln yonder gar:et, whose abode of pain.. . . By four steep eights of winding steps you gain ;"!-- In a word (to shorten the quotation), in the abode of age, penury, and approaching death, the poor victim of these united evils had thought of his own imperfections - with penitence and faith, and with an humble hope of mercy, but is found by his visitor in the agony of despair " Yet 'tit not now the fever's flush which speaks In signs of living fiama upon his cheeks; 'Tis not the bodily disease which ploughs Convulsive furrows on his thrObbity , brows. !- the soul's worse agiiny, wh ich tries His bosom strings, and (lashes from his eyes, And clenches fast his hands, as he would strisa With fancied fiends, who - drag him down alive. Some fierce and gloomy zealot has been there, And clogg'd his feeble spirit with despair; With garbled Gospel, and perverted : text, , And Scripture strangely to his turn perplext, Chang'd into threats the tidings 'of great joy, And taught the Sayiour came-but to destroy-; l'e!l'd out perdition phenzied ears,. And made his heart the very hull he - fears. Oh ! it mb re yet be time, some hobo convey, - Ere yet his tortur'd soul shall.pass away; H,'av'n will be merciful to faults like thine; Think upon Ciud—'.lle dies, and makes no Sign.' In all but .the melancholy catastrophe,, the real narrative above alluded to (probably unknown to the Writer of this Poem) is exactly parallel. But, in that case, the consoling Pastor happily came iu time ; and the poor sufferer died with thoughts of his Redeemer and himself, as much more com fortable as they were more just anti true. From the above passage, and what we will next quote, the virulence of the serious Reviewers will easily be accounted for : s , With what presumption this empiric tribe All disagree, and yet mast all prescribe! So body quacks delude the gaping throng, Right lmut in calling one another wrong. Truth is but one, the focus of the mind, Heat, flame, and radiance, in a point combin'd ; But error, glittering with unsteady blaze, • Splits the diverging beam ten thousand ways. 'Each sect, united 'gainst the Church alone, Deals some specific nostrum of its own : Varies time mixture and the dose at will, And thews how many ways there are—to kill. • On strong digestions one professor tries Fumes which transport, and gas which mystifies. Or, for a valetudinarian soul, Warm cordial drops, which cherish and console; Sermons for saints whose fervour needs repose, And glowing hymns to waken such as doze." We will not deem so ill of .our Readers as, to think it necessary to tell them that this is good writing : and if they wish to judge of the cha racier of the young Writer, without the stained glass spectacles of the very prejudiced Reviewers„. lei them read the character which he has drawn - (p. 21 to 23), and which almost every Reader will at once apply, of a preacher and a man, to feel whose excellence- is one good step maile, in early life, towards tire attainment of a- similar character. PARLTA MENT. nOUSE OF LORDS, MUNDAY, APRIL. 27. 'The House proceeded in Appeals. The beari n g Queensbury.Cases was. e onclu!!ed. •. 'Mr.lloa, train t Treasury, presented an Account of the Nition:il Debt in each. year, from 1786 to 1818 —Ordered !o be•prinred. The - Watt.'loo Bridge Bill, s4nelocal and pri- Ole Bills, wt re brought up from the House of Com Mons; by Mr. Swaim, Sir Win. Guise,- Mr. Lowndcs, - and Other Members, and read a first :ime, , The,Glass Duties 'Bill passed through a Com mittee', and as reported Without Amendment. Adjourned till to-morrow (this doy). HOUSE OF COMMONS: Various Accounts were presented, including returns from the Crown Office, of writs for Members to serve iii Parlia ment ; and returns of the number of Aliens in, and those sent out of, the Cohntry. The Waterliiii Bridge Road Amendment Bill was read a third time, and passed. • Lord LAsg'ELLES brought up a Petition from several bun - - dred persons at Leeds, against,any additional duty on rape seed. . . • . Alderman WOOD presenied a Petition from the Watermen of Stepney, against the Rotherbithe Bridge Bill. A Petition was 'presented from the Parish of Cripplegaie, which was understood to be in favnur . of that part of the Poor Laws' Bill fur making the owners of houses liable to the Poor Rates,-instead of the occupiers. Mr. BYNG presented a Petition from a Parish, the name of which could not be heard, against the Water Companies' Mo nopoly. Mr. CALCRAFT brought up a Petition from the Ship Owners and Coal Dealers of Rochester', praying an alteratiOn in the Coal Laws, as relating to coal's carried clastwise. A Petition was presented trom the Calico Printers of Glas gow, praying a repeal of the duties on printed calicoes, and the substitution of some other. COPYRIGHT BILL. On the motion of Sir E. BR'DGES, it was agreed that the house should, on this day sennight, go into a Committee on the Copyright Bill. The llouses of Correction Chaplains' RegOlation,Bill went through a Committee, after some conversation between Lord FOLKESTONE, Mr. BARING, and other Gentleinelle port to-morrow. • lONIAN ISLANDS Mr. BENNET wished to call the attention of the . House to a petition from a Foreigner, 'Count Adand, complaining of the conduct of Lieut.- General .Campbell, while. Commander in the lonian- Islands. It stated that the petitioner bad been a suitor to Government for three years, and could get no redress for the Oppression and injus tice lie had been 'subjected to, having been re ferred back to the country from which he came ; but the Lieut.-General, he, stated, could not be tried by any tribunal there, as he had put himself above the law. Ile assumed a right of repealing the existing laws, and setting up the most offen sive punishment, that of the pillory, to which he exposed the inhabitants ; he also thought 0 to flogrhis own - soldiers as well as the inhabitants,' and had actually had one mao put to death Whether these accusations were true,rhe (Mr. B). could not say ; but the petitioner, though offering to adduce the most positive proofs of them, could get no inquiry instituted. Even Sir 'I% Maitland' bad injured his feelings, by consideriiig hint as an adventurer, but he (Mr. B.) had positive proof of his rank being what he stated, and also that ,he was appointed Ambassador to Russia. lie prayed the House to institute an inquiry into the treat ment he had received. The petition being brought up and read., Mr. GOULBURN said, is must be clear, that whatever might be the merits of Count Adari - d, or however true the statements in the Yeti- . lion, the House could. not interfere in the subject. He hail imputed certain criminal ac tions .to a high Officer of Government, one of which was neither more nor less than his having murdered an individual. Nov lie would ask whether that House was - if proper tribunal to in terfere on such a subject ?' He must say, that if there had been any obstacle"tohis obtaining jos-, lice in his case, the faith lay more with him than with -the Government. • He had said he had the.. power to prove those charges: - It might be so 5 ' but there were other tribunals than that House to take cognitanee of soch.crimes. He had given a list of 100 witness residing in the lonian Islands, and When reference had been - inatie.to them, "lie said it was of no tuse to refer to them, as he could. .not obtain justice there. But •he (ME. G.) would deny that be had any , hadow of complaint against his Majesty's high Office's ; and as to Sir Thomas Maitland, his character stood too high to he be .nefitti d by any thing he (Mr. G.). could sgy of i t . The gallant General had professed himself most ready To go into the charges there, and to give .him that redress which those tribunals were most proper to afford. The Petitioner had therufore been told that •he Was at perfect liberty to pro ceed there, and substantiate his charges respect ing the property he had been deprived of. At.all events, the House was not the proper tribunal to apply Sir C. MoNcK wondered at the course the Honourable Gentleman had adopted, in saying that the petitioner could obtain justice in the Islands-, when the person against whottche com plained was no logger there. Mr. GOULBURN was obliged to interrupt the Hon. Baronet. He had not said so. One of the charges was against General Campbell, who is now, in this:Country, and he had intimated that the legal tribunals here were the proper places for redreis. The charges relative to the privation of property ought to be discussed in the Islands, where his witnesses were, and where the trans action complained of had taken place. Sir C. Motvcx resumed. The petitioner. had said that General Campbell interposed, and pre veritCd'him from obtaining his rights: Surely the Hun. Gentleman did not mean to say, that if he was prevented' by military authority from obtain ing his rights in those islands, he had his right of action in the Courts of this Country. Every body knew there was no remedy for him here, and he had found that it' was in vain for him to go there; as Sir T. Maitland had interfered to prevent him from obtaining justice, by representing him as an adventurer, assuming a title to which - he.had no claim. He would refer only to the Constitution u►edcr which those islands were governed,wherein it would be found there was no remedy against any interference on the part of the High Com-‘ missioner. The petitioner, - therefore, came to the House as his dernier resort, and he hoped the House would agree to his petition lying on the table. JOHN NEWPORT. argued that there was no remedy but in the Courts at, borne for the'op pressions compLiined of by the petitioner. Mr. BENNET admitted that the_Courts of Law ,woe'4pen to the iititioner, and so• was. the Lou don 'Tavern. But fits, was reduced in foittineo - and Inc. want of property preven.ed hint from availing. himself of ,the remedy they offered. Was it to be 'aid that GoVernmCnt had no control over their Officers ; - that, redress for injuries were : only to be obtained by law-suits . ; and that .those Officers had full imnnnity to act towards ilnlividuals as they thought fit. 1-1 e should certainly take some , steps upon this Petition, having no doubt that it would be perinitted to lie on the table. Mr. GOULBURN explained. .He denied that his observations were liable to such'a construction as the Hon: Gentleman had put upon them. Mr. F'. Donor...as. expressed his anxicty that Government would' not attempt to obtain more power in the lonian Islands than was given them by, the Treaty of Par 4. Sir C. MONCK • wished to know how it was that there was - n 4 general or• regularintercOnrse bet Ween this country and the .lonian Islands ? Sonic letters had been received within these few days ; but none had arrived before for a long time ; sometimes communications did not arrive for three or four montils, and Gentlemen here had been as long as eight or nine months without hearing from their friends and Cori espOnde tits. Mr. GOULBURN said, that the regularity,of the intercourse had been interropted7by the appear ance 'Of the plagne iu sonic parts . of Northern Africa, and, in cbn...rtptence,. vessels coming from the Levant Were obligrd . to perform a long and rigorous tin:amid:le at Ancona. The l'etition - was then ordered to lie on the table. Sir S. RomILLY said a few Words expressive of a wish to have the do( hntents relative to the Co►►- duct of Huggins exit-Pined by a Commi!tee. The result of his remarks was not ascertained. BPEACH nE PRIMEGE. Mr. WYNNE Moved tit; thu Wpnit of the Committee of Privileges on the case of Thomas Fergusson be ruad, which being done, lie then moved that 't tie said Thomas Fergnsson had been proved, by, writing, and sending the said letter, to have thAde a corrupt attempt to inlet leie in the purity of Election, .and had, thereby been guilty of a-high breach 'of the privileges of this House. The Motion being agreed to, Mr. WY,NNE . said, his next' Motion wonld - be; as directed by the Committee, " That the said Thomas Fergusson be committed to Newgate"— Undoubtedly this was not all that the House was bound to-do in jealous regard to the, freedom of the Election of its. Members. The Hon. Gentle - - man here Went into a ,statement of the, evidence that had appeared before the.Cortimittee„ and Stated the laws in 'such cases, quo of which was, that if any person so detected in corrnption'sbould hold any situation I.l,nder his. Majesty's-Govern ment, he should be removed front his." ofiSce, ren dered incapable of seri:ing,,bii,.Wiiesty again, and be fined in the.penally of 1001. :He, should feel it necessary to briug the subject: . ngain tinder thy 'consideration of the !loose ; and the prOper time would he When the , Committee . had concluded their ingoiry, and given their opinions embociied in their Report. For himself,,he thought it' would he more consistent if one' punishment were in flicted in all such eases,, and that Would he the removal of the guilty' per Son front any office lie might hold, whether great or small. lie should now merely move that the said Thomas Fergosson be committed to Newgate, and be should give notice of its being his farther intention to move that he should be removed froM his office of Sur vey,or of Taxes. The Motion ►vas agreed to. EDUCATION. Mr. BRottGnAm, on moving the Order of the Day for the committal of the Bill. appointing a Commission to inquire into the Administration of the Funds appropriated to the purpose of Cha ritable Education, took occasion to observe, that from no discussion having taken place upon this Bill, he understood a great deal of misconception prevailed abroad respecting its character and ob ject. It vas said to propose 'something likely to disturb all public charities, god to interfere m o s t improperly with the management of c h ar i ta bl e funds.. But this Wa3 an egregious misreorest.,,A. tion : for it was the object of this gill not to inter fere with the management, but to prevent the mis management of funds intended for chat it able pur poses. .ItWitS also an error to state that this Bill meant to interfere in any degree with private funds, for it related solely to funds designed for public charity, and which funds were, in fact, to all intents public property.—But - the plan of the proposed Com mission was framed according to the precedents of former Commissions, and especially of those not long since instituted by Parliament for inquiring into our Naval and Military Departments. Care was indeed taken to render the Commission effective for its object, while every precaution was adopted to guard against . any irrelevant or im proper inquiry. Mr. CANNING said, that from the views stated by the Learned Gentleman, he would decline to propose any alteration in the Comtuittee upon this Bill ; but lie would not hold himself preeluded from proposing hereafter such alteration as might appear to him necessary in the constitution, ex: tent, or duration of the proposed Commission. Lord FOLKESTONE was glad the attention of the House had been called to tile Bill, the effects of which would, in his opinion, be much greater than was originally supposed. He was surprised, how ever, at the exemption which the .Universities were to enjoy from its operation, and thought that it was a kind of insult to those Learned Bodies ; as if the mode in which they had admi nistered the trusts reposed• in firm would not bear investigation. He hoped ttat the name of Mr. Baring, a Gentleman of Berkshire, who, by his praise-worthy industry, had discovered that not a fourth of the money appropriated in that county to the chat itable purposes contemplated in the Bill bad been included in the returns laid ou the Table of the House, would be inserted in the purposed commission. , Mr. BATHURST contended that the Bill went much farther than was originally contemplated; 1 in and that the inquiry which WAS comprellen-er # its provisions into the administration as vosities, and the other - great public institooo, for education, ought not to he eotereek.l"" less some'strong case of abuse weie t ths - IVY, BROUGHAM, iq-e . xplanation obsr , Je ts those Abo agreed to the proem; mod , it was merely to commit the Bill, in order tbal de , „might receiv - the amendments that he wag,,,, sirons of introducing, ivith a view to ,its sl i n' A s frs (pent consideration, would - by: oo means I ,l 'v: themselves to. the ultimate adoptiou ot 111e .'' ) ; sure: He very willingly admitted tollisNobl e P le : g that the Interesi .. and:character of the tlidrets:ci would be best consulted by their beiog iocluis in the investigation, arid in confirmatio n Of t 4- opinion he adduced the conduct of that vener and illustrious individual,'LoreSt. Vincent, "I',A when at his suggestion a CoMinksion _of t pt Inquiry teas instituted, put in the tr out o ft abuses into which that Coinmission Was t!'',(l , quite, the abuses (if any exisrci) in the offi. : c gic i the Lords CommissiOners for executing the vets of Lord High Admiral of-Eu4and at the _ Virsc time when thot Noble 1?,.41 was hisnaell the Lord of the Admiralty—an example wiTie'. ; „ ' rise to that succession of inquiries into the or — i , abuSes of the public service, which bad be en :if highly beneficial to the country. An ins taoc- io the good effects of inquiry was to be ton na i"fi'leit investigation which tun years ago h a '', t ; f : ,u i sonic laCento soc alleged abuses in the o ut (ion of the Charter House, when it t iolie" that the allegation- was almost, if not oi tirel' grouudless. - Sir J . NEWPORT observed, that objections si lar b d e to those urged against the present tneasilt- jot) been.addbeed by Ministers against his proposirio, for a Commission to inquire into the abases -3tal respect to the Fees of Courts of Jostice 1 re 03 04 and Scotland, iit wide:, proposition Pa r '', 3 ,,ifect hid 'nevertheless accinieseed, and the goo" toe of 'which acquiescence vtas now manitesi Returns on the table. Mr. PEEL admitted that the proposition to vr o f the Member alto& d b een prodoetivetbe great advantage,• but +otservrd t h a t it W aS 1 1,1 form of an Address, praying that the Cro'c n appoint Commissioners for the ptir - puse of " 1 s nit the desbed inquiry. He thought the I .l ""' es a Learned Gentleman unfortunate in-addoc""- s e: i nni• reason foie instituting an inquiry into the ' b d, niStration of the -Universities, in which 0" was alleged, the institution of a sisnilar frtlt into the Administration of the-Charter-b°" 9e. ' ivhich great abuse. had been alleged. 0 the The Order of- the Day was then.read; — c l , 7 irt motion that the Speaker should leave th e short discussion ensued, in which Mr. 1 36tu r l i'ci• Mr. Brougham, and. Sir -3..,Newport, paled. ASse j The motion *as then agreed to, the 131 ", 1) ' through rlthe Committee, - and the House "flo resumed, the Report was received, and ottlere mp be taken into further consideration oo The Bill, us: amended, was-ordered to be plin LIITI 3 ;` • t • ON FROM ABINGDON. , on flog/ Sir CHARLES SAXTON presented-a peto the Magistrates ,of -Abingdon, in Berkshire, v'o,, were trustees of certain Charitable Instil complaining Of various calumnious .t, lt tidns that had been Made respecting -the ivat._‘ in which their trust had.bierr discharged , Mr: BROUGHAM rqCated that svhat Ira f u t-' on that subject had beemetample.tely misrep 1 re' e d etl, - and „contended that the petitioners 11 ° 1 co o -right to assume thoie misiepreseot a tions ) 3 1c 'e. ing been the actual statements made in the After a short conversation between Mr. 1 E;11 , tesley, Mr. Bathurst, Mr. Bronglsm , IVy , Sir C . Saxtori withdrew the Petiti""• Ou the motion of the CHANCELLOR 0 f t e CHEQUER, the further consideration f t`) 011;ii Or poll of Me Churches 13111 was postpon e morrow. COTTON REGULATION BILL. f Sir R. PEEL, rose to -explain the obj ec t la ce ' Bill which he had had the honour to toir°.:,bilf He then described fie Apprentices' " .b a l c or had brought in about sixteen years 3:1" , ~t " n reet the abuses which then prevailed ill T ie ar Manufactories, which Bill had met wit!' ti.jose' probation of the Government and of thid Since that period a great change had tidiell Plat; 4 su o in:tCotton Trade, and the busines s ,es Oic he Farried on by the means probably of ten ttp unlimber of children then employed', but w iw , e 'cto 4l not being apprentices, derived no from th,.. A ct. Th e present Bill was f r , o ; - ,,Co t! , include those An drei ., who were eatp loye" ton Manufactories having been entered between the roasters 1,0 them. These at present low. no ,),-„tectorb nisi lie hoped they would find T) ,:,.,, 0 rs House. Men and apprentices in the co.'" c '„sal ithout any formal C°'l, sometimes . worked fourteen hours in the d ' l i r t ini e , little children were obliged to work t he ° It "; s hei' They were thus made to do more t", 1", % sq" strength would permit, and the conseque%, e t '' le that in. a short time they beeatoe P i e t i ciated,, and incapable of hard labou r. " ' t he titions had been presented in favou r of sign'` One had been received from_Manchester, s yotel by thirty medical men and twenty - o ne ° f t ; (t— -who had no interest in the question vrh ter eg who only came forward to support the WO! of humanity. Petitions had been receiv e o il fly some masters themselves, and from alows t , r , no t respectable people in Manchester w", l 4c „ c o se tQ engaged in the trade, praying the " - ,n,let ° : shortenohe time of labour in cotton ma"' is o ries, not only for.children, but for adult' 3 ,,, ( 1 ' tr, the hours they were now eat strength of both. He concluded by no vlnt " o f iii 4/ the House should resolve itself into a Cono • 0/ on the Bill. til ° Lord STANLEY said, a great number of Pe, oilb had certainly been presented in favour of Lli o d i .signed by very,respectable persons ; but," iie er e o standing these, he thought great cautti' n . tb 1 9 sary before the House should interfere ' ci to sie g ; manner of couducting the cotton than" f '' c b,fi r o , employed exhaos‘s 00, He approved of the Apprentices' Billt ch i) e it' that was passed, it was comtnon to taite fro distant parts of the country , withoo al m consent, and without that of their pare°lo'4,oll.l. bind them apprentices where. the y were. 'o'll unknown. Many abuses had been proveJll' existed under this system , and therefore en tr il Acl. 1 icv3 liilf 4 , 1 114, I • Trii( ce i , t li U. 11,, ~..,L